Tension-roll bearing



, F. W. WARREN TENSION April 27 1926.

ROLL BEARING Filed Sept 27 1923 OKDOUUOO I 23 G) M INVENTOR fl/S ATTORNEY-.

Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES assesses PAT NT OFFICE.

FRANCIS WILLIAM WARREN, or PARIS, FRANCE.

TENSION-ROLL BEARING.

Application filed September 27, 1923. Serial No. 685,108.

partment of Seine, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tension-Roll Bearings; and I do hereby dec are the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to paper machinery and particularly to the handling in paper machines of paper-forming wires, papercarrying felts and the web of paper itself. In the operation of paper machines it is of great importance to produce and maintain an appropriate tension in the paperforming wire, the carrying felts and the paper web and it is the object of the present invention, more particularly, to control in an improved manner the tension in these felts, webs of paper and especially in the paper forming wire.

In the Fourdrinier type of paper-making machine, which is in extensive use in the manufacture of news print, manila, an writing papers, an endless paper-forming wire fabric, commonly called the wire, is 0 caused to travel, by frictional contact with power driven rolls, over a series of table rolls forming a level or slightly inclined table. It is upon this wire that the web I of paper is formed. The; paper stock is carefully flowed onto the wire at one end of this series of table rolls, much of the water from the stock draining through the meshes of the wire and more of it being removed by suction boxes over which the wire passes after leaving the table rolls. Thence the web passcss between the couch rolls where morewater is squeezed out and at which point the paper web leaves the wire which returns underneath to the breast roll at the front end of the table. The web of paper proceeds onwardly through the press rolls, suction rolls, smoothing presses, dryers and calenders to the reels. I

To give a certain tension to the wire a roll, termed the stretch roll, is provided whichis journaled in vertically adjustable bearings and bears upon the wire as it returns from the couch roll to the breast roll. It is necessarj for the proper operation of controlled within definite limits.

the machine tiat the tension of the wire be If the wire is too tight it will be'strained on the breast and couch rolls and slowly pulled apart. Its replacement costs many hundreds ofdollars. Also the accumulation of stock on the wire and rolls will unduly crease the wire at such points of accumulation and I cause its early destruction. If the wire is too slack, on the other hand, it is a Irequent cause of wrinkles.

- In modern paper-making machines a forming wire of copper, brass or bronze over 200 inches wide and up to 100 feet long. is not uncommon. The variation in the tension of wires of this character caused by the extension and contraction in the length of the wire on account of changes in temperature is hence relatively great.

a large majority of the paper-making ma-' chines asat present constructed the operator must dependiupon his' observation of the operation of the wire to determinev the tension under which it is working and make the necessary adjustment of the stretch roll. To keep the tension of the wire within proper limits is a difficult problem and requires a diligentand experienced operator. Indeed with the stretch roll bearings in common use it is practically impossible to prevent a more or less frequent tightening of the wire to such an extent as to give it a permanent set or stretch which reduces the life of the wire. I

My invent-ion overcomes the above objections, and secures the .above objects and resides in providing, in connection with an extensible and contractible forming-wire, or

belt, a spring pressed tension roll, acting to apply tensionto the wire or belt, and means for measuring and indicating the amountof this tension. Bearing brackets are used havirg manuallyadjustable supports such as are commonly employed for supporting the tension roll. "I'Vithin, these bearing brackets there are mounted,in separable sections, the bearings for the journals of the tension roll, one section of the bearing being slidable within the bracketunderthe pressure caused by the tension of the wire or belt and being provided with a suitablesprlng for opposing this pressure. The deformation of the spring serves to measure the amount of the tension and a suitable pointer and scale constantly indicate the value of it.

, In order that the invention may be more fully understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, illustrating, by way of example, a mechanical embodiment of the inventive idea. Such drawings, however, are intended to assist the description of the invention and not to define the limits thereof. 7

In these drawings Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the Fourdrinier part, or wet end, of a paper making machine having my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the tension roll hearing of my invention.

Fig. 3 is longitudinal section taken on line 33, Fig. 2 and including a portion of one end of a stretch roll.

Figs. 4: and 5 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 3 of a modified form of tension roll bearing.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is here shown a Fonrdrinier wire which forms an endless belt passing from the breast roll 11, over the table rolls 12, suction boxes 13, guide roll l-l-, to the couch rolls l5 and 16. The wire, passing around lower couch roll 16, is carried over supporting roll 17, underneath the stretch roll 18, over a second supporting roll 19 and thence returns over the breast roll 11 to the table.

The paper stock is supplied through a trough 20 to the head box 21, from which it flows over the apron 22 and underneath the sluice 23 onto the wire. The paperforming wire 10 is driven by means of power applied to the shaft of lower couch roll 16, a suitable clutch (not shown) for starting and stopping being provided. A pair of deckle straps, one near each edge of the wire, only one of which 2% is illustrated, is driven by frictional contact with the surface of the wire and serves to confine the paper pulp upon the surface of the wire as it is being formed into the web. are also endless and return over rolls 25, 25, 27 and Q8 res] )ectively, to the front end of the machine.

In order to control the tension of the forming-wire 10, the stretch or tension roll 18 is provided with the tension roll bearings 29 of my invention. One of these hearings is provided at each end oi the tension roll. The construction of the bearing is clearly lllllSl1.iQCl in Figs. 2 and 3 where, for the sake of clearness, the hearing at only one end of the roll isshown.

A hearing bracket or frame 30 is supported upon a vertical post 31 preferably in such a manner as to be manually adjustable as, For exan'iple, by means oi the wheel nuts 32 ant 33 which are threaded upon the post and bear against the top and bottom respectively of an extension 34 of the bearing bracket which surrounds the post. Under certain conditions, however, it is possible,

These deckle strapsbecause of the resilient mounting of the stretch roll now to be described, to mount the bearing bracxet in fixed position.

ihe journal 35 of the tension roll is supported by the separable sect-ions 36 and 3? ot the journal bearing, the lower section 36 being stationary with respect to the bearing bracket 30 and held therein by means of the horizontal ways 38 and clamping screws 39. This construction provides for the ready replacement of this section of the journal bearing in case of wear. The upper section 37 of the journal bearing is slidable vertically in the bearing bracket along a pair of ways 40 provided for this purpose, and to hold section 37 in proper relation to the bearing bracket in all positions. A coil spring ll is located between the top of hearing section '37 and a removable cover l2 which is held in place by suitable cap screws threaded into the bearing bracket and which provides means for assembling and disassembling the bearing structure. A pair 01 oppositely disposed bosses 43 and at are provided on the cover 42 and bearing section 37, respectively, which engage the interior of the ends of spring ll to retain it in position.

As the pressure upon the upper section 37 ot the tension roll bearing increases for" any reason the bearing sections will separate from one another, section 37 sliding along ways 10 and compressing the spring 41 to ward cover 42. As is well understood, the deformation, that is, the compression, of spring 41 will be an accurate measure of the pressure exerted against bearing section 37. In order to indicate the amount of this deformation and hence the amount of the pressure upon the hearing, I provide a pointer to, movable over a scale 46. Pointer 45 is carried upon the vertical strap 47 which is riveted at 48 to the outer end of bearing section 37, this strap sliding up and down in suitable guide ways it) provided upon the cover 42, near the upper end of the strap. Pointer 45 therefore is rigidly connected with the bearing section 37 and registers the movement thcreot upwardly against the action of spring all, upon scale 46, mounted upon one side of the bearing l'n'ac-liet or frame 30.

lr'hen it. is desired to take-up hearing from the may conveniently be done as follows. The pressure of spring 41 is cased oil ol' the upper bearing block 3?, For example by means ol? a clamp; then holding screw 3!) is loosened and lower block 36 is slid laterally along the ways 38 and l'tlllOYOd from the bearing housing. After this block has been removed, the journal 35 is lowered into the space previously occupied by block 36 and by swinging the bearing bracket 30 bodily to one side ournal 35 is removed through disassemble the tension roll, this the same opening, in the side of the bracket through which the block 36 was removed.

The construction of the modification illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5is similar in many respects to the'bearing just described. In this modification, however, the bearing bracket is of box-like construction and constitutes a protecting housing for the spring 51. The scale 52 ismounted on the outside of housing 50, and pointer 53 is preferably attached directly to the bearing section 54, which is guided in its movement against spring 51 by the inner walls of the housing. Hence, it is unnecessary to provide the sliding ways which are necessary in the form of'bearing above described. An aperture 55 is provided in housing 50 so as to allow for the movement of pointer 53. In other respects this movement is not un,-' like that shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and its operation is exactly the same.

It will be noted, however, that the modified bearing justdescribed may be readily taken apart for repair without removing the bearing bracket 50 from the position to which it has been adjusted upon post 31. If

it is desired to take'the bearing apart,it is only necessary to relieve the pressure of the spring 51 upon the upper bearing block 54, as above described. The lower bearing block 56 is then, after releasing its holding screw 5?, freely slidable in its ways 58 in the lateral direction and removable through the opening 59 in the bearing bracket 50 at the side and near the bottom opposite this block. As soon as this lower block is thus removed the journal 85 can be freely dropped through the opening 60 at the lower end of bearing bracket 50. i

In operating the Fourdrinier machine, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the tension on the paper-forming wire 10 lifts stretch roll 18 and con'ipresses spring 41. The pointer 45 moves over the scale hi and gives an accurate indicationof the amount of tension in the roll 10. By calibrating spring 41 with respect to the proper scale the pressure against the spring may be read off immediately in any units desired, such, for ex ample, as total pounds pressure, the pressure per inch of width of the roll, orthe tension of the wire, either total, or per unit of width, etc. Thus if the tension becomes too great or too small, the operator is immediately apprised of its exact value and can adjust it by giving a. slight turn to the wheel nuts 32 and 38.

The tension roll bearing above described in connection with the Fourdrinier wire,

may, with equal advantage be employed in conjunction with tension rollsfor obtaining flexibility in the tension of a wet felt, or a dryer felt, or in the paper web itself, as it is fed to the calender. In any of these applications of the invention it provides an ac'a erable saving in the time and labor nowwasted in properly adjusting the Fourd'rlnier wire and avoid ng the'danger of damagmg or destroying it, and it alsoavoids. the present danger of the felt or )a oer bein stretched too much; .2 1 a i A iurther advantage obtalned by employing the tension roll bearing of this inveir; ,tion is to be found in starting up the Fourdrinier wire, for when it is considered that these wires are operated at a speed of from 300 to 800 feet per minute, it is easy to un derstand that the throwing in of the clutch which drives the couch roll must be done with great caution andeven then places a very great stress upon the wire. By the provision of the spring-pressed tension roll bearings, equipped with pointer and scale, in connection with the wire a means is provided for absorbing the shocks nnparted thereto during the starting operation caused by thejerking of theweb when the clutch is thrown in, and for accurately showing thetension to which the wire is being subjected.

W hen this tension roll bearing is employed to regulate the tightness of the paper web, a great number of the breaks or rup tures now occurring are eliminated, thereby increasing the output and reducing the cost of production of the paper, and insuring a more perfect product by reducing the number of splices necessary. I

\Vhat I claim asnew, and desire tovsecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1.111 a paper machine, a'paper-forming wire, a roll extending throughout the width of the wire and supported thereon for ap plying tension thereto, a journal bearing for each end of the roll, a vertical guide for each of these hearings, means associated with said guides for increasingly opposing the movement of the roll under the pressure of the wire, means for indicating the relative position ofthe hearings in their respective guides, and means for independently adj usting the position of said opposing means with respect to said bearings so as to equalize the tension throughoutthe width of the wire.

2. In a paper machine, a paperforming wire, a roll supported thereon for applying tension thereto, journal bearings for the roll having guides which allow the roll to move vertically under the support of the wire, means associated with said guides for increasingly opposing the. upward movement of the roll in proportion to the amount thereof and means for indicating the relative position of the bearings in their respective guide 3. In a taheup bearing, the combination of a bearing housing, a stationary bearing block, a cooperating movable bearing block slidable in the housii'ig under the pressure of a journal rotating between said blocks, a spring associated with said movable block and the housing for opposing said pressure, and a pointer and scale movable reiative to each other for indicating the amount of movement or" said movable block.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination with an extensible and contractible belt and a tension roll therefor of a support for the journal of said roll having coo iierating bea 'ing blocks, one of said blocks being movable relative to said support in accordance with the variation in the tension of the beit, means associated with said movable bloc; tor increasingly opposing this movement in proportion to the extent thereof, and means for indicating the amount of such relative movement In a take-up bearing, the combination of a bearing housing, a stationary bearing block, a cooperating movable bearing block slidable in the housing under the pressure of a journal rotating between said blocks, a spring associated with said movable block and the housing for opposing said pressure, and means for indicating the amount of movement of said movable block.

6. In a takearp bearing, a housing having an end opening and a side opening, a jour nal, movable and stationary bearing blocks cooperating therewith, the movable block being slidable in the housing and having a spring operatively associated therewith and with the housing to oppose the movement of the movable block under the pressure of the journal, and means for indicating the amount of said movement, the stationary bearing block being removable through the side opening in the housing to allow the journal to be removed through the end openmg.

'2. In a talre-up bearing, a housing having a side opening, a journal, movable and stationary bearing blocks cooperating therewith, the movable block being slidable in the housing and having a spring operatively associated therewith and with the housing to oppose the movement of the movable block under the pressure of the ournal, and means for indicating the amount of said movement, the stationary bearing block being removable through the side opening in the housing so as to allow the journal to be removed through the same openin in testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

FRANCIS WILLIAM WARREN. 

